Puzzle.



W. H. SQUIRB. PUZZLE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. so, 1909.

9 5 3,01 2, Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PUZZLE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application led September 30, 1909. Serial No. 520,393.

To all 'whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Puzzle, of which the following is a specification in such full andclear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to a puzzle, and its object is to provide an amusement in which a small hemispherical pellet having a stem or pole projecting from the plane surface is to be placed over a socket or recess at the apex of a surface inclined upwardly from the periphery of the base.

In the drawings, in which the same numeral of reference is applied to the saine portion throughout the several views Figure 1 is a plan view of the box, Fim 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 1s a vertical sectional view of the box.

The numeral l represents the box which has a conical bottom 2, said conical bottom having a small depression at the top of the cone as shown at 3. In the practical construction of the puzzle I prefer to construct the bottom inclined upwardly from the periphery toward the center with the recess at the apex and to indicate thereon the meridian lines radiating from the central recess as indicated in Fig. 2. The top of the box is covered with a small glass window 4, the metalof the box being turned down over the glass as shown at 5 to hold the glass in lace.

There is placed in the box a small pe let 6 of lead which it is possible by very careful shaking of the box to place in the depression at the top of the cone. In order that the pellet may not be too easily placed in the depression it is provided with a short pole 7 which will prevent the pellet from turning over on its flat side as it is being slid or tossed along the inclined surface in the endeavor to seat the hemispherical portion of the pellet over the recess with the stem or pole uppermost.

The feat of sliding the hemispherical body along the conical surface and seating it over the recess furnishes an almost endless amount of amusement, while the idea embodied in the puzzle of placing the stem or pole upward at the center of the inclined surface creates a zest to sustain the interest in the puzzle. The shape of the pellet prevents any rolling action and causes the pellet to slide over the inclined surface, the annular rim of the plane surface increasing the friction as it moves over` the bottom of the box. The diameter of the hemispherieal body of the pellet is greater than the width of the recess so that the pellet may not fall into the recess and can only be seated over the recess. This feature is important, for inasmuch as the sides or rim of the recess will only cover a portion of the hemispherical base, the tapping or jarring of the box after the pellet is over the recess may be made to cause the pellet to assume a position with the stem vertically uppermost. It is due to the shape of the pellet which requires a sliding or bouncing motion to move it over the inclined surface, and to its relative size in proportion to the recess or pocket, as above pointed out, that great skill is required to cause the pellet to seat over the recess and to move into a position with the stem vertically upward.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is as follows:

l. A puzzle comprising a cylindrical casing or box having a bottom surface inclined upwardly from the periphery toward the center and provided with a central pocket, a pellet having a hemispherical body portion of a greater diameter than the width of said pocket and provided with a stem projecting from its plane surface, said pellet being adapted to slide along the inclined surface and to seat over the central pocket with its stem uppermost.

2. A puzzle comprising a cylindrical casing or box having a bottom surface inclined upwardly from the periphery toward the center and provided with a pocket or recess at the apex thereof, a transparent cover sealed within the annular rim of the box, a pellet `within the box having a hemispherieal body portion of a greater diameter than the width of said recess and provided with a stern projecting from its plane surface, said pellet beiner adapted to be slid along the inclined sur ace and to seat over the central recess.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand this 24th day of September A. D. 1909, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE.

IVitnesses A. K. DAGGETT, C. P. GRIFFIN. 

